Are Worms..Worms?

Are all worms good axie food? I feed T & P garden type earth worms which they love but I was going to start a worm farm for ease of collecting the little buggers but apparently they are not the same as normal earth worms, not exactly sure on what breed they are yet. Would it be safe to presume that if they eat them its all good or is there varieties I should avoid? Oh just a note Timon will eat moths, one crashed in the tank and "garbage guts" got to it before I could! Ha Ha!

Some species of worms give off a noxious odor/fluid when bitten or cut. These may be distasteful to your axolotls.

I've found that if you cut them, rinse them, and then offer them to your axolotl, they're more prone to take them.

Dendrobaena are ideal. Often sold as red worms, you can get them online and in baiteries.

Really easy to care for (I have a large tub of them happily living in my wardrobe) and nutricious.

Don't forget to purge your worms. 20minutes in a dish of water will encourage them to clear their system of earth etc, and then they are perfect to feed to your animals.

Spyyk LOVES her worms, but I always feel mean - I think worms are cute.
Poor worms.

Oh well, at least they have a good life first.

None of my animals will touch the Dendrobaen worms...they're the ones that have a nasty fluid inside. All my animals go mad for Lumbricus Terrestris though, they seem softer...not so tough as the red bait worms. I also leave them in water for a little while...but also "squeeze" along the whole body of the worm to encourage any dirt out.

Virtually all caudates will accept regular Lumbricus earthworms, the kind you find outdoors in dirt, or buy labeled as Canadian nightcrawlers. When it comes to compost worms, things get a bit more complicated.

There are 2 species of compost worms that are commonly grown in a tub or bin: (1) "red wigglers" = "tiger worms" (small adults about 2-3 inches, with highly defined red rings), and (2) "european nightcrawlers" = Dedrobena (larger adults, about 3-5 inches, slightly less red in color). Both types of compost worms have SOME of the nasty smell that causes SOME newts/axolotls to reject them. In terms of nutrition and safety, all of them are good.

I grow the larger worms (Dendobena), and I have no difficulty getting my newts & axies to eat them. I never cut them up, I only serve them whole. For my smaller animals, I pick out smaller (juvenile) worms from the tub. All of them are gobbled up, no problem.

The reasons that the funky smell can be a problem are: (1) if you use the smaller red wiggler worms, which have a stronger smell (2) you buy compost worms that have been raised in manure, or (3) you cut the worms into pieces, releasing the internal smell.

I hope this makes sense. I would encourage you to "grow your own". Once they get established, it's an endless supply of free food, and a good way to compost kitchen scraps. The further complication is how to be sure that the starter worms you buy are really Dendobena, not the smaller red wigglers.

Thankyou All. Have tried some of my new and improved worms today (not 100% sure what they are?) and Timon and Pumbaa could't get enough! So It's all good!

are earthworms from the backyard alright?? i think the food i am feeding my axolotl (Pet shop recommended, funny how it was more expensive)
is making him sick, and i have read that earthworms are the greatest food 4 axis coz of all the nutrients.

We use earthworms from backyard and started our worm farms using them. Pretty neat too when you start to find the worm eggs and babies.

(Message edited by kapo on December 17, 2006)

how do u make a worm farm?
And is there anyway that the worms would carry parasites??
I am going to go look for worms right now so i will see how my axolotl goes...

Are Dendrobena more like a treat for axies, or are they a normal diet for them?
How big can they get?

I've started preparations for a worm farm, and I'd like to know what the best type is to effectively breed.

Also, is there a site that shows how to properly prepare a container? I've read that they needed to be ventilated, but I don't know where to drill the holes etc.
I have bought a plastic trashcan with a content of about 24 litres, should I fill that up with garden soil and dead leaves?

I don't know what kind of worms I'll get when I order 'earth worms' at the petshop, so I'd like to see if I can order a specific kind or worm..

Danny, I use Lumbricus as my main staple. I throw in the occasional cricket, waxworm, bloodworm, or other stuff as a treat.

The most effective breeders in captivity would be ones labeled as 'compost worms'. I've never bred worms (at least, not on purpose) so I can't say how to build a breeder. There will probably be great information if you do a google search.